Facing continued U.S. probes, Wal-Mart consolidates compliance

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said on Wednesday that various staff groups involved in compliance and legal issues will soon report to its general counsel as the world's largest retailer works on coordinating efforts after an alleged foreign bribery scandal.

In a memo sent by Chief Executive Mike Duke, the company said that starting on Dec. 1 its compliance, ethics, investigations and legal units will become one organization under Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Jeff Gearhart.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, continues to face investigations by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission after a New York Times report published in April about alleged bribery at its Mexican unit, Walmex.

Wal-Mart also said Wednesday that it has spent more than $30 million updating its global foreign corrupt practices act and anti-corruption compliance program.

Jay Jorgensen will become Wal-Mart's senior vice president and global chief compliance officer, reporting to Gearhart.

Jorgensen is joining Wal-Mart from Washington, D.C., law firm Sidley Austin. Before his work at Sidley Austin, where he was a partner and litigator, Jorgensen was a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist and for then Judge Samuel Alito at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Wednesday's announcement comes soon after Wal-Mart said that Daniel Trujillo would start on Oct. 29 in the new position of senior vice president and chief compliance officer at Walmart International. Trujillo previously spent 15 years at oilfield services company Schlumberger Ltd., where he was most recently deputy general counsel and director of compliance.